Study: Advertisers want programmatic education

Programmatic ad buying, or real-time-bidding, has been gaining traction across the online space for more than a year. From a buyer's perspective, programmatic offers better control of price and placement than some other buying options. But new data out from the ANA and Forrester Research indicate another need for programmatic buyers: education.

The Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research have released new data indicating that programmatic ad buyers want more education about the process. The study shows more than half (54%) of those surveyed have used programmatic buying over the past year and that another 18% plan to incorporate these buys in the coming year. However nearly half (42%) say they 'have concerns' about programmatic transparency.

"Marketers are still in the early stages of understanding how to use programmatic to win, serve, and retain customers," said Forrester Analyst Jim Nail. "But as the survey shows, marketers realize they must take programmatic seriously and learn how to incorporate this buying method into their overall media buying strategy."

Other interesting findings include:

• Advertisers want to see ads served rather than 'viewable impressions' in digital ads
• Advertisers want to see agency rebates
• Advertisers want to see where ads were placed - above the fold, near what content and frequency caps
• Advertisers want better audience targeting data for their buys

The full findings will be presented at the ANA Media Leadership Conference.